Be Sure To Check The Status of Your Flights Today

There are delays of over 2 hours at some airports in the northeast today, so you’ll want to make sure to check the status of your flight before you head to the airport. JetBlue, ever the media whore, is canceling 44 flights in an attempt to take pressure off the system. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 600 flights were canceled Sunday due to gale-force winds in the Northeast.

I arrived in Chicago 65 minutes late two weeks ago due to a storm over Chicago.

Rather than hold the SFO-bound flight I booked, United sent it off on time, pushing back as my flight arrived (stranding about a hundred SFO-bound travellers whose connections had been delayed by the storm) and compounded the problem by delaying the next SFO-bound flight and cancelling the one after that.

United insists that they’re not responsible for my ten-hour delay in arriving at SFO, since the initial delay was due to weather, but I argued that rule 240 should be invoked since they refused to delay the first SFO-bound flight and because of equipment-related cancellations later int he day. The “on time departure” of United’s flagship 777 service to SFO was half-full, and caused a cascade of late, pissed-off SFO-bound customers – something that was repeated for most destinations connecting through Chicago that day.

To recap: after a weather delay, United sent the jet with the most capacity out on time, then voluntarily delayed the next flight (not due to weather or equipment) then cancelled the third SFO-bound flight of the day for unstated reasons.

Why the hell didn’t someone at United hold the first flight for a half hour? It took off half-empty because all of its connecting passengers were late due to weather, and those people were forced into the two remaining (very full) flights going to SFO that day – basically meaning that many of the people who were to arrive at SFO by 12:30 p.m. didn’t get there until late that night, if at all – simple because United sent the jet with the most capacity away half empty, but on time.

So, my question is: on what planet does this make any sense? Why not hold connecting flights and ensure that people actually get where they’re going 30 minutes late instead of ten hours late?

On top of all this, United’s counters in Chicago were understaffed, their automated reservations system was overwhelmed, and their Indian “customer service” agents were ill-prepared and poorly trained to help stressed travellers. United: America’s worst airline!

My wife’s on a plane heading into Newark as I type this. She left this morning with the understanding that the flight was running about 20 minuts late, called while en route to the airport and was informed that the flight was pushed back 4 hours, and found out when she arrived that it was a mere 45 minutes late.

The moral of the story – calling ahead for your flight status means bupkus nowadays.

@CaliforniaCajun:
I lived in NOLA pre Katrina after growing up in SoCal. I thought United had a daily non-stop from NOLA to both LAX and SFO? I know whenever I flew home on United I either got the non-stop or tried to avoid ORD at all costs. My other option was always Mid West Express with all first class seats. But I don’t believe they came back after Katrina.